1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of effecting a series of processes in connection with electrolytic process, for example, electroplating process in simple and rapid manner with small type means, and more particularly, to an apparatus for carrying out such a series of processes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, to effect a series of processes of materials as wires, which are electroplating and other chemical processes in connection therewith, for example, degreasing, pickling or water rinsing or washing processes, it has been required to employ great bulky apparatuses which may occupy large spaces in factories. Accordingly, it has been attempted in the art to effect plating process and other processes in connection therewith with smaller plants as much as possible. However, such smaller plants might treat only small amounts of materials per unit hour. Alternatively, it has been suggested to treat simultaneously a number of materials in parallel in order to overcome the low efficiency of the small plant. Such an alternative apparatus, however, is unsatisfactory because it requires a complicated transferring mechanism for the materials, as well as several sets of a series of plating plants in rows, which will considerably increase the cost of equipment.
Moreover, in the prior art plating apparatus, rollers have been used to bend a material for immersing it into a treating liquid, so that the material is subjected to a great force resulting from the action of the rollers which will give rise to deformation and breakage of the material and limitation of feeding speed of the material to obstruct the speedup of the treatment. Apparatuses intended to avoid these disadvantages require transferring mechanisms of higher accuracy and are apt to be more bulky and expensive. If the rollers are made smaller in diameter, there is a tendency of the rollers to severely act on the material to give a permanently residual deformation therein and if the straightening of such a deformed materials is difficult, sufficiently large rollers in diameter must be used to avoid the residual deformation, which in turn require a series of bulk apparatuses.
Furthermore, in the prior art it is inherently difficult to effect sufficient water washing or pickling, so that the treated material is often short of uniformity in quality. It also requires a great amount of water for washing which will increase the cost for treating the drainage of the water. Since the treating liquid is generally contained in a top opened bath which includes noxious or powerful material for the treatment, this noxious liquid will evaporate and splash in a workroom, so that the environment in the room becomes a dangerous condition for workmen.